


The Sunset Valley Situation

by orphan_account



Category: The Sims (Video Games)
Genre: Gen, Original Character(s), Pleasantview, Sunset Valley, The Sims 3, Yuletide Treat
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-12-23
Updated: 2013-12-23
Packaged: 2018-01-05 19:58:16
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,616
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1098008
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>So, how did Pleasantview get its current name?</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Sunset Valley Situation

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Aeiouna](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Aeiouna/gifts).



It was a bright, sunny, cheerful Friday in spring, but the four people in the innermost room in the giant City Hall building weren't smiling. In fact, they all looked quite bored. It had been a long day for the city planners in Sim City.

The petite woman at the front of the table, Emily Landgraab, wiped the sweat from her perfectly plucked eyebrows and adjusted her ponytail. Seated next to her, Mark Angelista, impeccably dressed all in black, was glaring at the rather uninspiring painting at the wall. 

In the back of the room, a pair of characters was shoving away a Business Planner. The larger of them, Jesse Xu, was panting heavily and planted himself down in a chair. The other one, a woman named Julia Caruso, gave the the Business Planner a final shove and tilted her her head when the woman in front started to speak. 

**Emily Landgraab** : We're finally at the last part of our agenda, Sunset Valley. 

**Jesse Xu** : What about Sunset Valley?

 **Emily Landgraab** : According to my reports, it is in steady decline. Nobody wants to live there anymore. It's a ghost town filled with seniors and the occasional dog. 

**Mark Angelista** : Gee, I can't see why anyone wouldn't live in Sunset Valley. It must be so exciting to live in a provincial shithole, where the main attraction is the park. I mean, does it even have a gym?

 **Emily Landgraab** : No need to be sarcastic, Mark. Of course it has a gym. It even has an indoor pool.

 **Mark Angelista** : Oh wow, a pool. Super exciting, 24 hour party people, right there. Ok, I get it, nobody wants to live there, what's the problem?

 **Emily Landgraab** : The problem is that we are part of the city planning group for the outlying districts: division 4. It is our job to make our part of Sim Country thriving and exciting. As it is now, Sunset Valley isn't thriving, it is merely chugging along and there are fears that it might be dying a slow death in the near future. We need to revive Sunset Valley and make it all that it could be. 

**Julia Caruso** : I'm trying to think about things. Maybe we can paint all of the houses in bright colors. Erect giant topiary sculptures of famous people in the park. Or build a giant spaceship with Sunset Valley's name on it. … We have to stay within budget though. 

**Jesse Xu** : We have no budget to speak of.

 **Julia Caruso** : Well, that's a problem. 

**Mark Angelista** : Have any of you even been to Sunset Valley? There is nothing to revive. No art scene, no bands to speak of, everyone either wears baggy combat pants or tuxedos. Unironically. 

**Julia Caruso** : I've been. The outdoors is really pretty. 

**Jesse Xu** : The outdoors is never pretty. 

**Julia Caruso** : What? The nature around Sunset Valley is simply stunning. Lush trees, tiny ponds of water with jumping fish, interesting rock formations, lots of sparkling gems. I used to take long hikes when I was visiting. It was lovely.

 **Jesse Xu** : I never hike. Prefer the couch. Besides, nature is hardly lovely. There are trees everywhere. Big looming trees, with hanging branches and lot of disgusting leaves. God, I really hate trees. 

**Emily Landgraab** : Putting Jesse's penchant for never leaving his house aside, I think we can conclude that Sunset Valley actually has things to offer to plenty of people.

 **Mark Angelista** : Like what?

 **Emily Landgraab** : Its surroundings. It's close to Bridgeport, for one. 

**Mark Angelista** : If I had grown up in Sunset Valley, I would have left for Bridgeport immediately and never looked back. 

**Emily Landgraab** : That's exactly the attitude we need to combat, Mark. There should be no reason for anyone to leave Sunset Valley. We should make it attractive. 

**Jesse Xu** : But how?

 **Julia Caruso** : Maybe we can rebuild the park. Just a little bit. … I know, we should hold a festival!

 **Emily Landgraab** : A festival?

 **Mark Angelista** : What kind of festival?

 **Julia Caruso** : A supernatural festival. A fair! Sunset Valley is swarming with interesting creatures, werewolves and vampires and plant sims and fairies and aliens and...

 **Jesse Xu** : There is only one problem with your little idea, Julia. 

**Julia Caruso** : What?

 **Jesse Xu** : Supernatural creatures don't exist. 

**Julia Caruso** : WHAT!? You've never met a supernatural before, Jesse? Not even a werewolf? How long have you been staying inside?

 **Jesse Xu** : Sure, I've met the occasional guy who calls himself a werewolf. But they are just poseurs, Julia. Rather hairy poseurs, but big fakes nonetheless. Look, I know you are really into stuff like that, but supernatural phenomena are just myth. Everything in this world can be explained with logic, there is no magic, no paranormal activity and absolutely no supernatural. It's all made up stories to satisfy the gullible masses. 

**Julia Caruso** : I don't believe you. Its like you have no experience with life or fun or anything really. 

**Jesse Xu** : There are plenty of books about logic on this subject. Perhaps you should pick up one. 

**Emily Landgraab** : Your grasp about reality is fine, Jesse, but can you just answer one question for me?

 **Jesse Xu** : Yes?

 **Emily Landgraab** : If there are not such a thing like paranormal activity or supernatural creatures, then why is my husband at home right now, pregnant with child?

A rather uncomfortable silence lingered around the table. Finally, somebody spoke.

 **Mark Angelista** :“So, what are we doing about Sunset Valley?

 **Emily Landgraab** : You tell me, Mark.

 **Mark Angelista** : Hogan's Deep Fried Diner needs to go. Refurbish and rebrand. Build a couple of clubs; move in some D-list celebrities from Bridgeport. Maybe hold a reality show of some sort. The people will eat that one up with a spoon for sure.”

 **Julia Caruso** : “But what about budget constraints?”

 **Mark Angelista** : “You can't buy star quality with a coupon, Julia.”

 **Emily Landgraab** : “Provided we've got the money to put your plan into motion, who are we trying to attract here? Young urban professionals? They wont move from Bridgeport.”

 **Jesse Xu** : “And who's going to star in the Sunset Valley reality show? The seniors? That would just be sad.”

 **Mark Angelista** : “You guys are no fun. Why are you always trying to shoot me down?”

 **Emily Landgraab** : “I am not trying to shoot anybody down. It is my job to keep everybody grounded and make realistic plans. Jesse, do you have any ideas.?”

 **Jesse Xu** : What about building more police and fire stations? Or trying to improve the public transport system?

 **Julia Caruso** : Budget!

 **Mark Angelista** : This is Sunset Valley, not Sim City, we're talking about. There is no need for a police station in every block. They only those little burglars with striped shirts there. And are you seriously suggesting that we build a subway line in Sunset Valley? Where would it go? The local park? Talk about not being grounded in reality. 

**Jesse Xu** : Nevermind then. We'll let you gentrify the place in peace, Mark.

 **Mark Angelista** : You are such a little stealthy sarcastic asshole, Jesse, do you know that?

 **Jesse Xu** : And you are such a little wannabe hipster who practices making ground murals in your living room when you think that nobody is looking. 

**Mark Angelista** : Well Jesse, I hate to tell you this but your mother's neck is rather long and hairy and she's pretty into spitting and stuff.”

 **Jesse Xu** : Are you implying something?

 **Mark Angelista** : Nah. It's just, I think your mother would have made a fine pack animal in the Andes, that's all. 

A long sullen pause followed where Jesse glared at Mark intensely. 

**Julia Caruso** : Boys, boys, no need to get surly here. It's a beautiful day out there and I'm playing hopscotch after work. Do you have any ideas for Sunset Valley, Emily?

 **Emily Landgrab** : I'm thinking about making small changes that will actually improve the quality of living and make Sunset Valley into a more attractive place. Cleaning up the beaches, replenish the fish supply in the ponds, new deck chairs at the pool and things like that. 

**Mark Angelista** : Booring. 

**Jesse Xu** : I'll have to agree with Mark. There is no way new fish is going to make people move anywhere. 

**Julia Caruso** : I thought we were doing something exciting. Something more fresh and creative. Something fun!

 **Emily Landgraab** : I'm out of fresh and creative ideas. Sorry. 

**Jesse Xu** : I just want to go home and watch the Swedish chef burn up on television again.

 **Mark Angelista** : It's hard to be fresh and creative about a provincial hellhole. I mean just the name of the place …. Sunset Valley, what kind of name is that?

 **Julia Caruso** : I know! We should rename it!

 **Emily Landgraab** : That is actually a quite good idea. We need to come up with something attractive though. 

**Mark Angelista** : Something french. 

**Emily Landgraab** : No, not something french. What's wrong with simlish? Where do you even get those kind of ideas from?

 **Mark Angelista** : French just sounds better, that's all.

 **Jesse Xu** : That's right, let's just rename the place Ponds du Poisson and call it a day.

 **Julia Caruso** : Hmm. Let's see.... Poissonville....Personville....Pleasantville. We should rename it to Pleasantville. And then we could hold a namegiving festival, a fair, with all the fairies and werewolves and stuff. 

**Jesse Xu** : Hold it right there.

 **Emily Landgraab** : What about Pleasantview? That's more attractive and less....french.

 **Mark Angelista** : That could actually work. It has some kind of rustic charm to it. 

**Julia Caruso** : It's a view! And it's pleasant! Perfect. 

**Jesse Xu** : Can we go home now? 

And so concluded the brainstorming meeting. And Sunset Valley got a new name. And new deck chairs.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks to Sinesofinsanity, for beta-reading. Residual mistakes are my own.


End file.
